Roller-skate.



C. DE L. RICE. .ROLLER SKATE. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 27, 1912.

Patented Aug. 6,1912. .l

v'2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1 wlTNEssEs "j l AWM C. DE L RICE.

ROLLER SKATE.

APBLIGATION FILED MAR. 27, 1912.

Patentea'Aug. -6, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WKTNESSES INVENTOR RLCE:

BY Ju/5. JW'

2W im@ ATTORNEY 4 To alli'whom it may concern."

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEETcE.

CHARLES DE LOS RICE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. :t

ROLLER-SKATE.

Be it known that I, CHARLES DE LosRIoE, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof the invention is to produce a roller skatevof improved construction.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 1s a plan View of a skateembodying my inventic-n. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view with parts in section to show construction. Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe front wheel yoke. Fig. 5 showing the-skate in use. Referring to the drawings a denotes the foot plate formedup out of sheet metal with a centrally arranged stii'ening rib a.

b are the toe clamps by means of which the front df the skate is secured to the sole` of the shoe.

c is the heel plate, the skate being secured.

-refers more particularly to the `manner 0f mounting the rollers and their connection with the foot plate.

, Referring now to the front roller it will be seen that it is mounted 4as usual on a horizontal axle 1, this axle being supported at each end in the ends of the yoke 2, this A yoke 2 at its outer end having a spindle 3 extending at right angles vto the yoke, the

'spindle being provided with ball bearing races 4. A tubular shell or hub 5 is secure lat one end to the under side of the foot platea and has ball cases. 6, 6. The spindle 3 projects into this hub and balls 7 are arranged between the ball races on-the splndle and the ball cases in thehub .to provide a ball bearing for this spindle, suitable adjusting nuts 8 being provided for adjusting the bearings. A flat spring 9 is secured at one end to the base 5a of the shell its oppos ite end resting against the flattened end 2x11 of the yoke'2. This spring 9 is bowed, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and a tension- Speciication'of Letters Patent. Application filedK March 27, 1912. Serial No. 686,648

y with the axis of the rear roller.

is a side view ling device, such l,as the stud -10 and the nut 11,. is provided to causethe lower end of the spring to exert pressure on the flattened end 2a of the yoke 2. The purpose of this spring is to keep the front roller inalinement `with the rear'roller andto maintain the* axis of the front roller normally parallel roller e is also mounted on a horizontal axis 100 which at its ends is vsupported in the ends ofthe yoke 200, which secured to the foot plate, rear roller so that it has no movement except of rotation on its own axis. t

^ In a properly constructed roller skate the stroke Tof one foot should diverge on a slightl curving line from the stroke of the other oot. f This is accomplished by throwing the axis of the front roller a little out of parallelism with 4the, axis of the rear roller. By my construction the spring 9 yoke is 'xedly will permit of a slight deflection of the front roller and as soon as the force of the stroke 1s spent the spring returns the rollefto its normal position in which its axis is parallel with the axis of the rear roller. The casterlike support of the front roller on ball bearlngs makes it sensitive to slight impulses and provides a very sensitive and satisfactory construction for the purpose designed. It 1s intended to use rollers about five vand one-half inches in diameter. This raises the foot plate a considerable distance from the ground and in view ofthe fact that there are but two rollers set one back of the other thus ixing the' Patented Aug. 6,1912. l

The rear I an excessive strain would be placed upon versely of the ,foot platejat a point which is about in alinement with the 'ankle joint is a shaft 30 mounted onballbearin notshown -in a suitable bracket 31. This s aft has an upwardly extending arm 32 which extends up alongside of the leg, its end en aging an eye in a leg band 34 which preerably is strapped about the leg just above the calf. Fig. 5 shows this arrangement clearly.. This alim 32 supports the ankle so as to prevent its bending or turning sidewise and yet allows of entire freedom ofaction in making a stroke and in bendin the knee. Secured to the shaft 30 is a bra e-spoon 35 which in the normal use of the skate is always out -o contact with the-rear roller, but when it is desired to stop or to slow down one foot can be allowed: to drag' behind the other,l or

. ciency and when -used in connection with the pneumatic rollers which I have devised a skate is produced .which is very comfortable to use and adds greatly to the `pleasure of the roller skating sport.

I claim as my invention- 1. A rollerxskate comprising a"footplate, a tubular shell xedlyjsecured to the footplate near the forward end thereof and extending forwardlyV and downwardly from -the under side thereof,l a s indle rotatably mounted on ball bearings in'said shell, a yoke secured to and extending rearwardly of said spindle, said yoke having its forward end squared, a roller mountedin said y yoke, a atspring having one end located r in afslot under said foot-plate anditsother end resting against the squared end of said yoke, means engaging said spring between 1ts ends causing it to exert pressure on said yoke to resist the turning movement thereof,

.a second yoke lsecured to. said fo'ot-plateo the rear of said vfirst mentioned yoke, .and a roller mounted in saidyqke.

2. A rollerskate-comprising`"afoot plate,

va forwardly extendingxtubular shell fixedly secured tothe vundersideof the foot plate near the front end thereof a spindle rotatably mounted on ball bearings in said shell and rojecting from the Ylower end thereof, a yo e secured to the projecting end of the spindle and` extending rearwardly and downwardly, a rollery mounted in said yoke, -yieldin means onsaid shell and 'engagmg said yo e to' normally hold it in position, a

`second yoke secured to said foot-plate by the rear of they rst mentioned' yoke and a roller mounted thereon.4 v vLES DE LOSURIGE.A 

